


Gardening at Night

by LoversAntiquities



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Ficlet, Flustered Dean, Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Nudity, Tattooed Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 16:17:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3857035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoversAntiquities/pseuds/LoversAntiquities
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The frantic pace of his heart finally stilled upon finding him in the greenhouse, the back of Castiel’s head visible on the far end of the room, past a table filled with the largest array of tomato plants he had ever seen, the extensive sprinkler system misting the multiple rows of green and the floor all under the teal-filtered midafternoon light. What he didn't expect, though, was to see Castiel wander into his field of view, smiling a toothy grin, <i>naked</i>.</p><p>(PS, Happy World Naked Gardening Day!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gardening at Night

Castiel was in the conservatory when Dean finally found him, after an hour of harrowingly searching the bunker and the surrounding grounds with the sneaking fear that the ex-Angel had either gotten himself lost again or finally left. The Continental was still in the garage, though, parked next to Baby and that GTO they hauled home outside of Glenrio last month that had probably been sitting there since God knew when. It was a between hunts project, something they could work on together when Sam didn’t have Castiel cooped up in the library for hours on end. His brother needed a hobby—maybe they really _did_ need to get a dog.

He wasn't in any of his normal hangout spots; the observatory was clean of any trace of him, his bed was made with the desk lamp in the corner off and cold, and even the range was quiet, gunpowder lingering in the air from their training session late last afternoon. So where had he gone? Admittedly, Dean should have checked the conservatory first, being the literal _last_ place he would have figured Castiel to be in. He hadn’t shown any interest in the room or its contents in their explorations the month’s prior. Or, at least, hadn’t when he was around. Castiel’s conversations with Sam were kept in hushed whispers, if anything.

The frantic pace of his heart finally stilled upon finding him in the greenhouse, the back of Castiel’s head visible on the far end of the room, past a table filled with the largest array of tomato plants he had ever seen, the extensive sprinkler system misting the multiple rows of green and the floor all under the teal-filtered midafternoon light. What he didn't expect, though, was to see Castiel wander into his field of view, smiling a toothy grin, _naked_.

Castiel, former Angel of the Lord turned human, stood naked as the day Jimmy was born before him, arms covered in soil from fingertip to elbow, patches of his chest and belly dirty from his work, skin glistening and _dripping_ from the misters overhead. At some point, he noticed that Castiel was staring at him, brows furrowed, eyes narrowed to a squint. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” his friend commented, folding his arms across his chest. _Don’t look down, don’t look down_. “I assure you, there are no spirits here, Dean.”

“That’s—That’s not—.” He shook his head, unable—and mildly unwilling—to tear his eyes away from _Castiel_ , his friend unabashed in his nudity and not even a bit ashamed. In fact, he _reveled_ in it, skin practically glowing in the dimmed light, hard planes of muscle looking all the bit too tempting to touch. On his chest, his tattoo sat proud, adorned with newer ink Dean had yet to see, a collection of thorned vines and scrolling Enochian symbols draping his collar and upper back, a few straggling down his upper arms to wrap around what looked to be shattered chain links. Part of him wondered if there were more on his back—maybe a set of wings, something equally as frustrating as the front.

“You’re—,” Dean attempted to stammer again, swallowing around the knot in his throat. “You’re—Why are you _naked_?”

“Oh.” Castiel looked down at himself, lowering his arms and attempting to rub the dirt off his fingers, only smudging it in further. “I typically garden at night, but I was under the impression you were going to Hastings with Sam today. This is,” he motioned to his body and the room, Dean pointedly looking anywhere else, hoping the lighting did something to dull the obvious red flushing his neck, “more freeing than having to buy special clothing. I don’t have to wash, this way.”

Castiel made a noncommittal shrug before turning to tend to the lattices at his left, purple-and-white clematis growing up towards the glass-paned roof, Castiel stringing the wayward vines up through the white-painted holes on the tips of his toes. Just as Dean suspected, his back was inked too, the unshaded lines of what looked to be _massive_ wings rippling with each shift of muscle, sweat and mist dripping down his spine to the small of his back and between his— _Okay, Winchester. Stop staring._

“ _Cas_ —,” he started, voice coming out in a hoarse breath before he cleared his throat, eyes still trying to occupy his time staring at anything that _wasn't_ Castiel’s ass, willing his dick to _calm down_. “Cas, you can’t just—What if Sammy walked in?”

“I doubt he would care,” Castiel answered, chipper, “considering he’s joined me before.”

Dean nearly swallowed his tongue. “You—Sammy—You did—?”

“Use your words, Dean.” Castiel turned to him again, taking a discarded rag from one of the tables and wiping his face with it, toweling his hair dry just enough and tossing it aside again. “Is there a reason you’re so flustered around me?”

“I—You’re just—.” Where had his entire vocabulary gone? Normally, he could keep his cool around people in whatever state of undress they were in, even looking the other way when appropriate. But this was _Cas_ , Mr. Trenchcoat and Tie, completely bare and approachable, littered in tattoos and wet with mist and—. “You’re—Oh _God_ , this isn’t happening.”

Covering his eyes did no good—Castiel only pulled them away from his face, tugging them down to their sides. If he just reached forward a few inches, he could rest his hands on the curve of Castiel’s hips, feel that skin for himself, maybe drop to his knees if he were allowed. “If you think you’re hallucinating, you’re not,” Castiel said with a laugh, squeezing Dean’s wrist. “You’re welcome to join me, if you want. I assume your brother’s still sleeping?”

He nodded, too enthusiastic. Last check, Sam was still knocked out on the couch halfway through some documentary on the history of wheat; if the History Channel kept up its rotation for the day, he wouldn't be awake any time soon. “I—This isn’t… weird, to you?” Dean asked, a bit sheepish. Castiel cast him a questioning glance. “Y’know, the whole…”

“If you’re asking whether or not I care about nudity, the answer is no.” He paused to release Dean’s wrists, blue eyes watching, searching the uncertainty in his own. “This body is mine as yours is your own, and I’ve the right to do with it as I please. And,” he turned his back, treading the slick concrete to stand in the aisle, “if that’s tending the plants nude, then so be it.” He looked over his shoulder, eyes glinting with the overhead sun, a smirk on his lips. “Are you coming?”

“I—.” He couldn't believe he was doing this. Stripping naked in his own room was one thing, but with someone else in a completely separate part of the house? With _Castiel_ , of all people? His heart skipped at the thought. “…Yeah, Cas.” Castiel nodded and rounded a corner, disappearing from sight before Dean could get his shirt up and over his shoulders. “But you’re _gonna_ tell me about those tats, you hear me?”

A chuckle sounded from near the zucchini plants. “Whatever you want, Dean.”

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously, World Naked Gardening Day is a thing, so go out and frolic in the pastures! Technically it's tomorrow, but I saw it on my Facebook news and ran with it. Enjoy some gratuitous naked Cas!
> 
> Title is from the R.E.M. song. 
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://tragidean.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/loversantiquity).


End file.
